The game of golf, as well as various other physical activities, requires that a participant execute a precise set of physical maneuvers. Specifically, the game of golf requires that a player be capable of accurately swinging a club along a preferred path of travel within a proper range of velocity while simultaneously maintaining an appropriate orientation of the club. The putting stroke in particular is a very precise motion, demanding accurate neuromuscular programming. Acquisition of an effective putting stroke is typically achieved by long term repetition.
Many golfers employ the services of a professional trainer who observes and critiques their putting. Such services are expensive and are difficult to arrange at convenient times. Additionally, such critique generally provides a somewhat delayed feedback to the student. As a result of the foregoing, there has been a significant interest among golfers in the use of training devices for putting. It is highly desirable that a training device provide an accurate and substantially instantaneous feedback to the user as to the qualities of his or her putting stroke. It is further desirable that any such training device be usable in connection with fairly standard golfing equipment and that it be rugged, reliable and simple to use. Clearly, it is desirable that any training device for putting accurately evaluate all parameters of a proper stroke.
Heretofore, numerous devices have been developed to teach a proper putting stroke. Most of these devices include means to prevent the golfer's body from diverging from a proper swing plane. For example, it is known in the prior art to mount guide-like rails, or straps to the putter to constrain the motion of a golfer's body. Likewise, it is known to use electronic monitoring devices to determine whether or not a proper putting stroke has been achieved. However, these devices are awkward in appearance and, in the case of electronic monitoring devices which generally are not attached to the club, transport and set up can be difficult. Furthermore, in most cases, the prior art devices do not simulate the look and feel of actual putting.
A prior art device which attempts to overcome these difficulties is U.S. Pat. No. 4,930,787 of Nobles. This patent discloses a self-contained, easily-portable, electronic putting sensor which purports to teach proper putting habits under realistic conditions. The sensor assembly of the Nobles device includes two mercury switches mounted in the club head which are connected to a signalling device and which measure (1) the angle of the club face throughout the swing and (2) the tempo of the swing. However, unlike the present invention, the Nobles device cannot detect a proper ball strike on the "sweet spot" of the club face. In addition, the design of Nobles device requires the user to hold the club face level relative to the horizon; this creates difficulty for golfers of varying heights and putting styles. Finally, the sensitivity of the sensor in the Nobles device varies with the force of the putt. Thus, a training club utilizing the Nobles device is either insensitive to short putts or too sensitive to long putts.
My U.S. Pat. No. 5,169,151 discloses an electromechanical putting trainer which includes an inertial sensor responsive to axial rotation which is disposed in electrical communication with an alarm circuit. The sensor includes a pivoting arm which is disposed in a plane parallel to the ball striking face of the putter. A detector with two contacts is disposed proximate the free end of the pivoting arm so that, when the arm pivots in either direction, it will contact the detector. The device provides a user detectable signal if, during a putting stroke, the putter is rotated around the longitudinal axis of the shaft of the putter, thus causing the arm to swing and contact the detector.
Because the sensor described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,169,151 is disposed in a plane parallel to the club face, it is most easily disposed in the head of the club. While the patented device is sensitive to axial rotation when mounted thusly, it cannot easily be mounted in the grip or shaft of the club because of the orientation of the elongated arm of the sensor.
Thus, there is still a need for a putting trainer which accurately measures the attitude, tempo and position of the club independently of various swing speeds, as well as the accuracy of the ball stroke, without materially affecting the putting club's balance, feel or appearance. It is further desirable that such a device be mounted in the grip of the putter since it is much easier to install such a device rather than one mounted in the club head of the putter. Such a mounting contributes to the ruggedness, simplicity, and cost economy of the device. The present invention provides for an improved golf putting training device which is totally self contained and which is configured to fit inside the grip of a conventional putting club. The sensor of the present invention provides for immediate and accurate feedback through all portions of the putting stroke including ball strike accuracy. These and other advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent from the drawings, discussion and description which follow.